Aston Villa: Abraham would struggle in Premier League if club achieves promotion

Dean Smith’s side have won three games on the bounce in the Championship and are now just two points behind Derby County who currently occupy the final play-off position.

The likes of John McGinn and Jack Grealish have delivered brilliant individual performances in victories over Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City whilst defensively they have improved considerably since their 2-0 loss to West Bromwich Albion.

Whereas as the majority of players at the club have only produced on sporadic occasions this season, the one constant has been the form demonstrated by Chelsea loanee Tammy Abraham.

With 21 goals in 31 league games, the forward is the joint-third top-scorer in the second tier and without his firepower Villa would be nowhere near the play-offs at all and therefore be facing a fourth consecutive season away from the Premier League.

Yet with Abraham leading the line, they still have a realistic chance of achieving promotion via a trip to Wembley Stadium in May if they finish in the top six.

If the club do find themselves back in the top flight of English football for the 2019/20 season they will receive a significant windfall of money which they could spend on purchasing the 21 year-old striker on a permanent deal from Chelsea.

However, if they do decide to buy Abraham they could be making a costly mistake.

The England under-21 international has yet to prove himself in the Premier League and was largely ineffective whilst on loan at Swansea last season, scoring just five goals in 31 games as the Jacks were relegated to the Championship.

Furthermore, when you consider that he produced similar stats (23 goals in 41 appearances) during his time at Bristol City in the second tier, it can be argued that he is very good at this particular level but not yet good enough to compete with England’s elite.

Abraham is far from the only example of a player who thrives in the Championship but struggles to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League. Dwight Gayle was an integral part of the Newcastle United side which achieved promotion in 2017, scoring 23 goals yet last season he only managed to bag six for Rafael Benitez’s side.

Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon and Cardiff City’s Callum Peterson both enjoyed impressive campaigns last year but have yet to replicate their form in the Premier League, scoring just six goals between them in a combined total of 54 games.

Although it is naive to completely write off Abraham’s capabilities for the future giving that he is still developing as a striker, he is arguably too inexperienced to carry the hopes and expectations of Villa supporters next season if they achieve promotion. It would therefore be wiser if the NSWE group would invest their money in a forward who has a track-record of producing when it matters in the Premier League.

What do you think Villa fans? Should your club sign Abraham on a permanent deal if you get promoted? Who else do you think Smith should target in the summer? Let us know below.